Sylvain Guintoli ready to challenge the 2013 WSBK championship

Sylvain Guintoli proved that he can be a World Superbike race winner after taking three wins in 2012 with two different teams - Effenbert Liberty and Pata Racing, however he was royally dissed by racing fans when he reneged on an already signed 2013 contract with Fixi Crescent Suzuki, but his choice to wait out to see what Max Biaggi would be doing, paid off when the 2012 World Champion Max Biaggi decided to retire, leaving one of the most desirable seats in Superbikes with factory backing ripe for the pickings, “It is really exciting and it was a bit of gamble but it was definitely 100% the right thing to do,” said Guintoli.

Filling the Italian’s shoes on the Aprilia won’t be easy, but the Frenchman is raring to give it shot and become one of the championship contenders along with Marco Melandri and Tom Sykes, who battled againt Biaggi until the final round of the season, and being a factory rider with a manufacturer who has already won two constructors titles since their debut in 2009 will give him that opportunity.

“There is still a difference between riding as a privateer or as a factory rider,” said Guintoli speaking to the official website. “The aim is to go and fight for the championship. There is a lot of work to do and there is another big step to do, but to make that step you need the right bike and the right team. The bike and team I am going to be working with next year is definitely going to be the right one. I have full faith on them giving me everything I need to be in the front. That is what matters to me. That is what I want; I am ready for it. All I want is to challenge and I want to get on track knowing that I am fighting for the wins.”

Guintoli doesn’t know who his pit crew will be next season and if Aligi Deganello will be his crewchief, but he is putting his trust totally on what Gigi dall’Igna’s will decided, “I trusted 100% what Luigi Dall’Igna is choosing to do because he knows what riders need and he knows what is going on. This crew I am working with now, the crew that Max had last year knows the bike very well and knows how to work it. They have the right reflexes already. You can tell because they do not even need to speak to each other when there is something to do on the bike, they just know. This is part of winning. I am giving Aprilia 100% trust and 100% regarding this because they know better than I do. I know what to do on track and they know how to make me do it right.”